Satsuma flavor: What is the color of divine?

There's no way to be
absolutely certain when your Satsumas are ready to pick other than to sample
them! The color of the peel may be attractively orange, but that says nothing
about what's inside. Some completely orange fruits may need weeks more
ripening in some years. Other years, even mostly green fruits may be nearing peak flavor.

If you have a
main crop Satsuma, like Owari or Brown Select, fruit may be quite edible by
mid-October. But flavor will continue to develop richness, sweetness and
complexity well into November or even (in some years) December. And most years,
we wait until mid-November to haul the best of the crop off the tree.

Clementines and
ponkans are usually best in late November or early December, but in an unusual
year like this one, they may develop nearly full flavor before Thanksgiving.

But surely there
must be some scientific way to know exactly, right?

Here's the best and most scientific
citrus ripeness sampling technique I know of: Go out on a cool morning and pick
a fruit from an outside branch of the tree. Press your finger into the top of
it until the thin skin breaks open, and the fruit sprays its incense across
your hand. Left out a segment and put it in your mouth. Don't worry. It will
inevitably be bright and good.

If your eyes
squint nearly closed, it's not quite ready. But if just the corners of your
eyes turn up, and your lips break into a smile at that perfect balance of
sweetness and acidity, brightness and richness, it's pretty close to perfect.

If you'd like
an introduction to the great taste of Gulf Coast citrus, and a primer on how
you can enjoy these fruits in your own yard, don't miss the annual Citrus Field
Day, Nov. 20 from noon until 5. Well be visiting one of the area's oldest
citrus groves and see how citrus are grown, from the first spring to the peak
of harvest. We'll also be sampling a wide variety of citrus from around the
area. Call 251-342-0555 for more information.